Overcast at Kasimedu Fishing Harbour and Cloud Iridescence

The weather for last few days has been pleasant in Chennai during the evening with rain clouds overcast the sky and seldom showering here and there to lighter downpour. The days are hotter than usual to become a natural geyser to produce hot water but as it enter the evening the weather dramatically turn into gloomy and cool.  The situation was similar when I cross Marina beach a day back (in evening) with a plan to drive up to Kasimedu fishing harbor for a chance as we mostly turn back with Marina.

The sun was shining bright when we moved out of home but on the way we saw gray clouds climbing up the sky from the west against the setting sun and for a moment on the beach road we come to cease across a colorful sky (cloud iridescence) showing up above the clouds. As we cross Parry's corner it becomes darker and windy and when we enter the fishing harbor it was about 6 pm and the concrete pier was empty unlike my previous visit on a Sunday last year. There was police standing at the entrance of the harbour but they didn’t pay attention to us as we drive inside.

 

We drive partially into the breakwater and stood there sometime almost watching the clouded sky and feeling the fresh breeze and whisper of silent waves of sea. The harbour wasn’t busy that time and some fishermen were working on their nets at a corner and being 6 in evening we didn’t take risk of driving all the way till the end of breakwater to be warned by someone. Later the cop come in jeep indicated us to move away and we left the harbor to wish to come back some other day in a day time.

(All the photos were captured using S4 mini smart phone - 8 megapixel)

Fence around Fern House

The picturesque house surrounded by colorful flowers

The Fern House in the Ooty Botanical Garden is home to many ferns and orchids. This house (established in 1894) is dedicated to W.C. Mc. Ivor, in whose response the Garden has been developed to this stage from the then a patch of vegetable garden and wilderness of Shola and shrubs and the lower part as a swamp traversed by deep ravines.

Mr. Ivor who had his training at the Royal Botanical Gardens, was able to transform the steep slopes into walks and terraces, lawns and flower beds for growing choice selection of plants. He also improvised ways and means by which he could reclaim the lower part of the garden and converted into undulating and sloping lawns with pockets of ponds left at convenient places to add chart to the landscape.

Linking this post for Run a Round Ranch's Good Fences

Kaadu (Forest)

The Tamil movie I watched last night at home theatre is obviously based on the title Kaadu (forest) and the lives and way of living adjoining same. The movie wasn’t much interesting to watch, but I did plainly for the message it carries on forest conservation and the important of preserving the forest. The film shot in and around Dharmapuri, one of the most backward and drought prone district in Tamil Nadu, captured at its natural state.

Begin with a note dedicating to all nature lovers and forests activists, Kaadu makes it path clear and wants to point out the mindless behaviour of man toward deforestation. Even though the movie comes under usual drama, the main plot deals with Velu, who collects firewood in the forest and sells to the people in his locality. Being a believer in nature, he makes certain not to cut a single tree or plant in the forest to preserve it for future generation.

Velu’s friend Karuna, who aspire to become a forest officer couldn’t cope up the bribe that is needed by the selector. In desperate he smuggle sandalwood and get caught but he request Velu to replace him so that his dream don’t ruin. Velu in jail, Karuna becomes a forest officer by impressing the DFO and tries to take over the forest for his personal gain by removing the people of the forest. Velu on bail, fight against karuna, and smugglers on other hand, to save forest and its people.

Directed by newcomer Stalin Ramlingam, Kaadu ties to capture the views of people closely associate with forest and what/how it suppose to be and seen. The film travels on socio-political scenario (that well detail the lifestyle of the people in forest) has great remarks throughout, touching topics such as eco-conservation, unemployment and corruption in government engine and the important to rely on roots. Captioned as forest, the film doesn’t show any animals but stressed the need of them to be in the forest than in zoos.

Vithartha as Velu in the role of a rural man is apt, as he had done many similar roles in his carrier that began in Myna and his transformation into rebel is also convincing. The film also conveys communism at its fair bit, Samuthirakani in the role of political prisoner, with a mandatory reference to Che Guevara, spell out neatly the need to fight for one’s right. For a movie with great idealism, the romance and comedy comes as a flipside spoils the real cause of watching.

The film also indirectly mark the late encounter of red wood smugglers or loggers in AP, whom were mostly gone from nearby districts of Dharmapuri. Although the movie ends with message, it wasn’t sharp hitting rather it should be as it make mandatory that forest guards should be truly admirer of nature and forest activist to protect it entirely. And if we continue neglect forest and keep ravage, the after effect would be drastic that humankind would not survive. 

RGB Monday (doors and frames)

Red door frame of a Christian shrine in Mamallapuram.

Green door and window of a house in village near Thandikudi, on the lower Palani hills (Kodai hills)

Bluely painted door and windows of an incomplete home in Valparai... though unfinished I find the sight very pretty to photo shoot. The house was neatly arranged with flowerbed on both sides of the blue frame.

Countryside Fences, Ooty

These photos are capture while driving from Ooty to Avalanche, during last year vacation.

The crops cultivated above seems to be Carrot and Cabbage

One of the villages along terrace farmlands - the road to avalanche is almost passes through it and at every corner there's something to behold yet beautiful view.

 Linking this post for Run a Round Ranch's Good Fences